Proud of our past, ready for our future.

At Hi Neighbour we are embracing the opportunities in building a robust and diverse workforce for our collective clean energy future.

Our region, the Illawarra, Dharawal Country, is often referred to as the Coal Coast — for a very good reason. Coal extraction, coal export, and the coal-heavy industry of steelmaking have been our key employers. Generations of nation-building jobs. Communities and families built up around coal and steel. 

Port Kembla is the second largest coal export hub in New South Wales. In 2016 our region was home to 2000 coal mining jobs. The BlueScope Steel plant at Port Kembla employs more than 3200 workers in its raw steel manufacturing business. Then there are the countless careers created in connection with these industries. Hi Neighbour celebrates the history and camaraderie of these demanding jobs, which require skill and stamina, and we respect the pride that comes from a job well done.

We now face an environmental challenge that demands massive reduction in the emissions closely tied to these industries. With renewables we have the technological solutions at hand and we are investing in making that change.

“No workers should be left behind in this energy transformation.

We are committed to supporting workers up-skill for next generation jobs”
“In Australia 167,900 workers require up-skilling in renewable energy industry skills”

The Illawarra/Dharawal region is a Renewable Energy Zone. Which means loads of investment, loads of jobs and loads of opportunity. If community is properly included this could be an incredible revitalisation for our region.

There also are numerous private renewables proposals eyeing large-scale local renewable energy generation projects. These changes come with risk: historically large-scale technology transformations can leave workers, communities and ecosystems behind unless designed and implemented wisely. And this is where we come in!

Hi Neighbour understands that the renewables revolution is headed for the Coal Coast and knows if we don’t act now it will happen to us, not with us. We need to make sure new low carbon jobs stay local and local community enjoy the benefits of a renewables transformation. To honour the heart of this place and to protect our future, we need to build ourselves into the industries that will come to redefine this region.

Hi Neighbour’s approach is about bringing everyone together in this mission. If you live next door to someone whose first priority is energy transition, while yours is stable jobs for your kids in industries that supported you and your parents, you might feel we are hopelessly divided. We promise: we’re not. Hi Neighbour knows both perspectives come from a desire to protect your families’ futures, and all concerns are legitimate. You and your neighbours deserve a game plan for a future that includes everyone on the street. Hi Neighbour is a path to a safe environment and the safe jobs that go along with it.

It is essential to proactively plan for an energy future that supports a fair energy transition and positive community outcomes. At Hi Neighbour we know our region can become a shining example of what is possible.

“Up to 1.35 million jobs can be supported across the Australian energy system by 2050”

Hi Neighbour is directly supporting workers to up-skill for this renewables revolution.

Check out these videos to see our work and how we fit into our community.

Key Activities

  • We directly support local workforce transformation by providing scholarships for local workers to up-skill for clean energy careers. Each $20,000 scholarship round targets different demographics and different clean energy careers within the Illawarra region.

    In 2023 we supported 10 local electricians to up-skill for solar installation, 8 out ten either work in coal or come from coal mining families

    Along with financial contributions for training support includes structured mentoring and industry connections.

    In 2024 we are currently receiving applications for local women and gender diverse people interested in training for clean energy careers. We are directly supporting apprentices and breaking down barriers for women in male-dominated industries. One of our 37 applicants writes “As a stay at home mom who has been out of the workforce for over a year this scholarship will help me get on track to a career that I can be proud of”.

    The upcoming scholarship for 2025 will be for First Nation applicants seeking training and support to establish a career in renewables.

  • We host joyful, community centred events that promote clean energy careers and counter false narratives about renewables. We centre facts, economic opportunities and celebrate the experiences of those who’ve already made the switch. We are actively promoting critical skills needed for the energy transformation

  • We facilitate commercial scale solar installations and support our scholarship activities by collecting interest or commission. We work directly with local commercial operators in manufacturing and heavy industry. We have two Community Solar Partners, local manufacturers Buckaroo and Thomas Creative. We’ve supported significant dollars savings and reduction in climate pollution.

Key Partnerships

Hi Neighbour has built significant partnerships across a wide range of local stakeholders, seeking to build bridges between community, training and industry. We are proud of our deep and authentic connection across the spectrum of our community.

  • We are grateful for the support from our federal member, Alison Byrnes MP, who has a unique understanding of the critical need to actively support local workers in local energy transformation. Alison is a regular attendee at our events and has fostered critical local relationships. We were grateful to be able to accompany Alison down to the coalface at Dendrobium for a powerful first hand experience.

  • We have worked closely with the ETU from the outset. Taking recommendations directly from Michael Wright, Ravin Marris, Sarah Brunton, Steward Edward, and Tara Koot.

    We have consulted with Arthur Rorris from the South Coast Labour Council whose advice early on guided our approach to the way we talk about energy transformation with local workers.

    We sat down with with Bob Timbs from the Mining and Energy Union and look forward to deepening the connection after our visit to the coal face at Dendrobium organised by Bob.

  • We have been working closely with TAFE and University of Wollongong (UOW) to foster excellence in future local training pathways. We have been active participants in the Community and Industry Reference group for TAFE in the development of the Energy Futures Skills Center at the invitation of Jo Haslam. We work with TAFE leaders like Adam West to make sure we are aligned on clean energy training pathways and providing responsive community feedback like requesting solar training be put back on spec for local TAFE.

    We work closely with Ty Christopher at UOW to make sure we are at the crest of the wave where tertiary education is concerned in the clean energy space. More recently we have been in conversation with Erin Snape in Business Development at UOW to discuss taking our events on the road in partnership with UOW to get to the more southern regions to share training and career opportunities in clean energy. Beyond this we are seeking to develop research projects focus on our work with UOW PHD candidates, we are in conversation with Simon Moss.

  • We are proud to be at the beginning of a working relationship with Bluescope which seeks, in the long term, to see Hi Neighbour foster local talent for employment at Bluescope in the decarbonation of steel making. We are in conversation with Michael Reay, Amber Waldrom and Matthew McKenzie. Bluescope made a financial contribution as a show of good faith to support scholarship coordinator role for Women in Clean Energy

    We have been in conversation with local innovators Green Gravity, Secona and Hysata about the skill and qualifications they are seeking as we seek to design scholarships fit for purpose.

    In our solar work we have installed solar rooftops on local manufacturers Buckaroo and Thomas Creative, 200kW of clean energy that powers local jobs, manufacturing and in the case of Buckaroo a new electric fleet.

    This video celebrates the benefits of our Community Solar Partnerships

  • From the outset Hi Neighbour has sought to build strong relationships and trust with the local First Nations community. Local Aboriginal leader and academic Catherine Moyle served on our inaugural board and is a strong advocate for our work. We have many valued and authentic relationships with local First Nations community members like AIME CEO Jack Manning Bancroft, artist Kirli Saunders, Dr Jodi Edwards, Tiffany Ireland and we are delighted to be announcing new board member and local cultural leader Layne Brown.

    We aim to keep strong communication and connection with community action groups like Electrify 2515 and are in direct contact and have the support of Kate Minter and Saul Griffiths of Rewiring Australia. We are connected with the local interactions of Tomorrow Movement,The Knitting Nannas, Surfers for Climate, and Good For the Gong.

    We have consulted with and have support of local climate expert Dr Tim Flannery who has particular investment and experience in coal worker job transformation. Local hero Dr Karl supports our work and directly contributed to our Learning From Locals campaign to support positive offshore wind farm submissions. Local climate communicator and strategist Claire O’rourke is a supporter and featured Hi Neighbour in her book Together We Can as an example of meaningful community lead action. Beyond the region renowned climate scientist Dr Lesley Hughes and climate focused social researcher Rebecca Huntley have supported the work from its inception.

    Bulli High recently hosted Hi Neighbour volunteer Greg Knight to lead a sustainability workshop and we are currently seeking a connection with Dapto High.

    Local musicians like Midnight Oils’s Jim Moginie, Bec Sandridge, Elana Stone and Lindsay McDougall have performed at our events. Multi award winning Alex the Astronaut supported our last event for Women in Clean Energy.

We support offshore wind

We are in support of the proposed offshore wind area. Hi Neighbour views low carbon energy including wind, solar, hydrogen as key tools in the global energy transformation that will see us make the essential shift away from fossil fuels. As an organisation we seek to responsibly engage with low carbon technology in all the forms that arrive in our region.

As a Renewable Energy Zone we hope that these opportunities will be bountiful. We know that no single technology is a silver bullet, without tradeoffs to be considered, planning to be exhaustive and processes to be refined. But to do nothing and commit to business as usual is unconscionable.

Local debate has been forced into unfortunate polarised positions but we've found great value in seeking deeper lessons. We've gone out and talked to local experts to listen and learn. You're very welcome to check out these conversations in videos below. From these conversations we've clarified our position and the caveats and concerns that accompany our support.

 These include;

  1. Rigorous and independent environmental assessments 

  2. Percentage based local job guarantees

  3. Dynamic First Nations collaboration

  4. Community benefit royalties

  5. Percentage based local procurement of local materials 

At Hi Neighbour we like to say we are proud of our past and ready for our future. We are working for a healthy future, where our region can utilise its highly skilled workforce with deep history in heavy industry. It is my hope we can continue to be a region that powers a nation, pours the steel of tomorrow, that exports energy across the seas; but this time using low carbon technology that safeguards our children's future.

Community support for the zone is needed if we are to grab this opportunity with two hands, bring your hopes, your stipulations and support to bear on a project that will breathe new life and hope into this region.

From the coal coast to the clean coast, what a journey that will be!

And now for some local knowledge

Hi Neighbour spoke to some local experts about their perspective on offshore wind (and yes Dr Karl is a born and bred local!)